Do you think homemade presents are naff?

[BendydickCuminsnatch]

Want to do homemade Christmas presents, but obviously not if the likelihood is people will think they’re crap.

I’m rather crafty if I say so myself so I’m thinking of things such as:

Aprons and felt flower crowns for my nieces
Homemade scented candles
Wood burned chopping board, wooden spoons etc
Patchwork quilt for my baby nephew maybe
Homemade tin of biscuits
Resin jewellery
Hobby horse maybe
Foodie gifts

The idea being I can get a lot done early!

As does a friend. I treasure them.

It depends. If they are genuinely nice gifts then bei g handmade makes them even better. But if they aren't to my taste/useful then the handmadedness just makes it more difficult to dispose of them. So a patchwork quilt is a lively idea. Flower crowns on the other hand only make if you are sure that they will be appreciated.

I generally love home- made gifts. I was given a Kilner jar of lovely homemade soaps for Christmas and I’m really enjoying them. Also it’s generally less plastic crap to eff up the oceans!

I would have be touched to receive a homemade gift.

I’m not keen either. I’m quite crafty and could make most things. But l often think this sort of thing is more about the person who makes them rather than received them.By that l mean, it’s really enjoyable making stuff, but perhaps not as enjoyable to receive some home made item that’s a bit off.

I really treasure home made gifts. I think people who don't have their priorities screwed tbh.

Food and/or alcohol.

My sister makes all sorts of lovely things - but the thinga that everyone goes mad for are her hats (she is very creative and imaginative - they are very personal the the recipient) and boozy chocolate!

Homemade presents are lovely, and I’d rather a million times over have some jam or biscuits rather than a stupid scented candle or something.

madison is she not just keeping it for best? That’s what my mum would do!

Gifts are gifts. They’re free! If people complain, they are rude. Who complains about a free thing except a rude person?!

Make your gifts if you enjoy it. If people don’t like them they can give them away. You’re not sentencing them to a lifetime of it!

Some, if the person is skilled and it is useful and not a knick knack, and if it is fragrance free.
Aprons and felt flower crowns for my nieces Yes
Homemade scented candles No
Wood burned chopping board, wooden spoons etc No
Patchwork quilt for my baby nephew maybe YES
Homemade tin of biscuits No
Resin jewellery No
Hobby horse maybe For a kid I guess Yes
Foodie gifts No

I do a lot of crafts and run my own business selling them so the quality has to be high. One year I made gifts for everyone close to me, took all year - the majority of people didn’t really appreciate it. The key is figuring out who does appreciate it and who doesn’t - I have one friend who loves them so I make extra special stuff for her.

I’m glad I started this thread. I don’t want to come off as ‘ooh look how clever I am’. Also made me remember we received a set of crochet / lace placemats etc made by my aunt for our wedding that we’ve never used (and won’t really as they’re not our taste). So there we go. I have loads of quilts and embroideries I’m planning on making though so I guess i’ll just make them (for fun, you understand) and then text a pic out and see if anyone wants them (not related to xmas)

I’ve just seen that you make scented candles, I didn’t mean to be rude about them, I would LOVE a homemade scented candle, just I get given a lot of yucky ones.

I would save your lovely homemade presents for people who will appreciate them then. I’ve got lots of little children and would be overwhelmed with happiness if someone gave them a lovely handmade flower crown or hobby horse rather than some noisy plastic junk that will break almost immediately and have to go to landfill.

As long as the presents are useful, you can always USE them. You could use a hand burned chopping board for chopping things on even if you don’t particularly like it! Thing need chopping, they don’t last forever, and you can think about the person who made it for you and cheer up a bit making the packed lunches.

Some people on this thread are weird. It’s like people who automatically return gifts if they aren’t exactly what they would have chosen. Sure, you might not get exactly what you want, but that’s always a risk with presents....and surely it’s much nicer to get something that a person has put time and love and thought into? If not, what is the point in the first place? You may as well just give each other money, or not bother at all and just buy yourself something.

Doesn’t seem v Christmassy to me!

l've made two crocheted blankets for friends, and they loved them. The first was blue and white to match her bedroom, the second was a Darth Vader mask (she's a Star Wars nut). Both to fit a king sized bed.
Ones similar to the first one cost well over £200 on Etsy, which l could never afford to spend on a friend, but the wool cost me a fraction of that.
l've also made cakes for people who like my baking! Having said that, l wouldn't just give someone something home made for the sake of it. For me, presents are about the person, and if they wouldn't like it, it's a waste of materials and time.
My best friend always makes me a Christmas cake, and last year l asked for a coffee and walnut cake for my birthday. lt was divine!

(PS I’ll have a quilt)

If I’m making gifts for people now I generally make paper cuts - they are much quicker than knitting something and people really like them, especially if they’re personalised. They make great baby gifts.

I have tried and failed at quilting so I would cry with happiness if someone made me a beautiful quilt or one for my boys.

Apparently my family fondly remember the year me and the dds gave nicely wrapped homemade biscuits. It saved some pennies for a few years and to be honest the waste and over consumption inherent in Christmas. I really loved decoupaging old shoe boxes with the dc using all the christmassy magazine pictures, they came out really well.

It depends on the receiver.

My pickled onions in raspberry onions can only be eaten by serious pickle fans, but serious pickle fans love them.

I'm banned from making shortbread for a friend as he claims they are more addictive then crack.

So I make things for people who I know will love them but not for those who don't.

I don’t want to come off as ‘ooh look how clever I am’.

Not to worry - you didn't come off that way at all.

As a consumer rather than a producer, I'd much prefer a homemade present to a shop-bought one

Aprons and felt flower crowns for my nieces Yes
Homemade scented candles Yes
Wood burned chopping board, wooden spoons etc Yes
Patchwork quilt for my baby nephew Lovely idea
Homemade tin of biscuits Yummm
Resin jewellery Yes
Hobby horse maybe For a kid I guess My kids would love this (how do you make a hobby horse?!)
Foodie gifts Definitely! Love home made foodie gifts

I made some awesome homemade aranciello one year, it was so good - hadn’t multiple repeat requests and it was super easy. Wasn’t any cheaper than buying something but homemade gifts rarely are (costs me 10x as much to knit a scarf than buy one because I can’t stand synthetic yarn)

This is a very interesting thread. I’ve been thinking about doing biscuits and fudge as Christmas presents this year. We have no money and the thought of having to buy numerous presents is worrying me! I wonder if the negative feedback on here would still stand if they knew the giver couldn’t afford to do much else, rather than it just being a choice?

I really love homemade presents. They are the best. Dds feel the same.

I wouldn’t like anything I had to wear, including Jewellery. Home made food gifts, if from a super clean kitchen, would be appreciated, as would a chopping board.
Aprons and jewellery for young children, are a lovely idea, tweens and teens would probably not appreciate them though.
I know I sound picky, but just trying to be honest.